The Portland daily press., 1887-10-24

evening l went up into the hall with others.
Next morning went up there and found
cracker crumbs on the upholstered seat in
the hall, also cigar ashes"
Cross examined.-"There were two sets Of
keys to the hall besides mine. The hall was
finished more than year at that time. 1t is
quite customary to show visitors through the
hall l testified in the, hearing before. l
don't know whether the blinds were open or
shut Smelled no cigar smoke. Six or eight
went up in the hall that night. Was up
there half an hour or less. Made no dis
covery Of any consequence. Looked for bur-
glars and TOOLS"
Joseph n. Larrabee
was next sworn. II lived in Dexter seven
teen years. Recollect the night of the Bar
ron murder. Visited Masonic hall at o.
clock next morning Number of men with
me. Nobody smoked that day or ate
crackers there. Found cracker crumbs "and
here witness described the position of
crumbs and cigar ashes.
Harvey's Testimony.
John f. Harvey, Medfeld, Mass, was then
sworn. He said: 81 lived in Medfeld 81
years. Was there in 1873. Lived in the
house with David l.. Stain. Knew of body
of men organized for purposes of robbery.
They were Stain, Cromwell, Billy Bell, John
Harvey and Charles F. Stain. Did all kinds
of robbery they thought Of Went
to grocery stores, dry goods stores
depots, everything that came in their
way. Always planned them in Stains house
and l was always present. The method was
for each and everyone to find out what was
worth stealing and steal it. Quite often
when any member of the gang found out
anything worth doing, we would hold
meeting to see about it. Stain always got his
share and then would steal half what the
others got. Continued a member of the
gang until l was arrested for breaking and
entering the depot at Needham with Billy
Bell. We were sent to the Massachusetts
State Prison for three years. Was arrested
In February, 1877, and sentenced in April.
Served three years with the exception of a
portion of the time given for good behavior.
Had no connection with them after got out
and have been clear Of them since Before
my arrest often used to hear Cromwell and
Stain talk over Maine. They used to say
tions than there. 1t was not so well guard
ed and there were fewer crooks down here
They mentioned many places, among them
Dexter, Winthrop, Gardiner and Mount Yer
night and then left there. Until last January
| worked in Natick, Mass, on the farm as a
foreman and have worked there good deal
since. First information that | got
that there had been Dexter bank robbery
was in the fall Of 1882, when was working
Clemmer. We had three men put up a
job on Stain for receiving stolen goods, and
he was sent to jail for one year. At that
time Stain was lying in Jail, awaiting trial,
and Cromwell was over helping me out. He
was scared to death of Stain, and he said to
me that that old devil is down there in Jail
plotting cussedness which will send me to
Jail for life. Charlie Stain is down in Maine
and only year ago he wrote to the old man
for S25 to clear up the stolen horse transac-
tion. The old man ought to have sent 1t to
him. That boy knows enough to hang u.s.
| told Cromwell that Charlie was way down
in Maine, and could do no hurt there. Said
Cromwell, That is the place he can do
hurt What about?' l said. why, on
that Dexter Bank affair." he replied, and
the job down there. ! have heard both men
talk Of machine they used for boring safes,
and they said they got it in New York.
Cromwell told me that he and Goldsmith
were up in Groton or Grafton. They had
been blowing safe, and daylight came, and
they threw the machine in cl1mp of bushes
in the woods"
Cross-examined 81 was at sea in 1864;
came home and stopped in Medfeld three or
four months; was in the hospital before
Quebec after l was in Canada year. In
1868 we met at Stains house; then
went out of Stains house on a
visit to mother for day or two; returned
to Boston and joined the vessel. Went to
New Brunswick, thence to Liverpool.
Joined another vessel for voyage back to
Liverpool with cargo again. Then worked
aboard the Great Eastern at MOrsey. The
witness traced his voyage at sea. Came from
New York to Bangor. Then made voyage
to Turks Island and back to Bangor. Then
went to Medfeld. Got there in January,
1915 Stain lived ona-fonrth mile from the
centre OF Medfeld. Was at Stains house
until he was arrested in Februgry, 1877,
thirteen months in all.
when Cromwell told me about the Dex-
ter matter did not know whether he did It i
Eold me down to what told the reporters.
There was so many OF them after me that /
told them anything to get rid Of them.
think that told them that told Cromwell
young Stain was the biggest liar in the
Mass, about this affair first Haven't had
the slightest intimation that was to receive
a reward in this matter. Merely expenses
have been paid out. nothing more. Knew
when Charley Stain married Lizzie Ballard
at Medheld In 1877, before went to prison.
Lived together many months or weeks, then
she went home and Charley left there. New
er saw him again until in 1882 at Bradbury's. s.
| For two or three weeks he was around
there. Never saw him again until today"
L
| gang committed many minor offences, such
as breaking and entering grocery stores
"Stain had several places in his house for
stolen stuff. One was false closet; another
| a place under the floor, and another in the
| water closet. lie came out Of prison In Feb
| ruary, 1880. Stopped at Stains the frs,
night out. Stopped at the house of a mar
| named Wiley all summer; then went K
| Bradbury's farm in Natick, and have beer
there ever since. After we got Stain into
prison he sent for me to swear for him. Hs
| wrote me number q letters which | nov
went to prison No particular room il
| Stains where the gang met All met ther,
| together as often as once in two weeks. Tn,
house where we met is now stanoing."
Z. +. Burns, OF the Boston Globe, wal
called to testify, and at first refused to d,
SO voluntarily, but finally consented. Tn,
witness had an interview with Cromwell a
Bangor Jail. | told him Harvey would be
witness at the trial and he said, "It's all u
with us, then"
Cross;eTamInsd Cromwell said the
hundred dollars, and intimated to hir
| (Burns) that il was bad feature Of the cas-
to have Harvey in IT.
Charles f. Stain was then sworn, and CAV
substantially the same story that has a.
ready been made public.
The Arguments.
Hon. Josiah Crosby opened the case ia
the defence. He said this case was one {
the most remarkable ones he ever knew. TIL
amount of falsehood in the papers was
the greatest magnitude. He knew of h
personal knowledge that hundred lies ha
been told. He never knew anything like i
at is said to be remarkable because Dextt
Bank officials employed coun sci to defen
these men. 'Tis false; and never had f,
minutes conversation with any of these gel
tlemen about the matter. Stain sent for M
We viewed this testimony as worth but a II
he. The testimony of Identification amoun
to nothing. Don't believe In it; identific
tion after nine years can't be done. Adm